


everybody wants you (but i don't like a gold rush)

by percasbeths



Series: songs that remind me of percabeth [13]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: 5 + 1, Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Idiots in Love, percy's a football player yeah, this is literally just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:48:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29774319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/percasbeths/pseuds/percasbeths
Summary: “Seriously?” Percy’s eyebrows fly up as Annabeth nods, and she shifts her position so she’s straddling him. Her hands move to rest on his chest, and he knows she feels his heart pounding under her fingertips as his hands move to hold her waist.“I mean, I wear your hoodies all the time.” She kisses his jaw once, “Wouldn’t wearing my scrunchie on your wrist be the equivalent?”“That’s some weird logic.” He says, but it comes out breathy as she trails kisses down his skin. He feels her smile against his neck, “I can think of other ways to publicly show you’re my boyfriend, too, you know.”or, five times annabeth and percy show the world they belong to one another.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Series: songs that remind me of percabeth [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1763155
Comments: 29
Kudos: 194





	everybody wants you (but i don't like a gold rush)

**Author's Note:**

> title from "gold rush" by taylor swift

_But I don't like a gold rush, gold rush_  
_I don't like anticipating my face in a red flush_  
_I don't like that anyone would die to feel your touch_  
_Everybody wants you_  
_Everybody wonders what it would be like to love you_  
_Walk past, quick brush_  
_I don't like slow motion double vision in rose blush_  
_I don't like that falling feels like flying 'til the bone crush_  
_Everybody wants you_  
_But I don't like a gold rush_

_**i.** _

When Percy first started dating Annabeth, he honestly hadn’t known what to expect. It scared him, if he was being honest, but within weeks he realized the fear was stupid. It was Annabeth Chase, after all: his best friend, his favorite person in the world, the person who’d saved his life time and time again.

Dating her came as naturally as breathing. He’d been anxious about the idea of seeing her year round, outside their camp bubble, but he enjoyed being around her so much that within days it was forgotten. Annabeth hanging out in his room, sitting at family dinners beside him, quick dates in the city–it all felt so natural.

By their one month anniversary, Percy knew she was it for him. Granted, he knew he was only 16 and maybe he was way too confident for his age, but she fit so perfectly in his life that he couldn’t picture it without her. He knew that a proclamation like that, so early on, was a bit too much, so he planned to play it safe: gifting her a small piece of coral he’s taken from his dad’s palace.

It was a few days after celebrating their anniversary in Paris (courtesy of Hermes), and the two of them were in his room. His mom and Paul had gone out for dinner together, and Annabeth decided to stay and keep Percy entertained. She simply pulled out her homework, laid on her stomach across from Percy, and got to work as he studied for a test he had tomorrow.

“Hey, ‘Beth.” He gives her a small poke with his socked-foot, an attempt to grab her attention. Getting her to pull away from her books was always a feat, but he also knew exactly how to get her attention. She ignores his pokes, a small huff leaving her lips, “Percy, stop.”

He ignores her, instead flopping down on his stomach beside her. He picks up one of her strands of hair from her ponytail, curling it around his finger, “You’re ignoring me.”

“I’m studying. Something you should also be doing, by the way.” She responds, her focus remaining on the book in front of her, and Percy leans forward and presses a kiss to her jaw, “You can take a break.”

When she doesn’t respond, he kisses her skin once more, and a small sigh leaves Annabeth’s lips, one that he’s gotten more and more familiar with hearing. He loves learning the way she responds to his touch, the way there’s this side to her reserved for him and him alone. 

When he doesn’t pull away, he feels her close the book and give it a push before flipping to lay on her back. Percy’s face hovers above hers, and she lets out a huff, “Happy?”

He grins, “Very.”

She kisses him before he can say anything else, the small fuzzy feeling erupting in his chest as her arms wrap around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

Although he could kiss her forever, he forces himself to pull away, his lips hovering above hers, “I got you a present.”

“What?” Her brows furrow, which brings a smile to his lips. He pulls away and pulls out the small box from under his bed, then presents it to her, “Happy anniversary, Wise Girl.”

She still has half-furrowed brows as she takes the box from him and opens it, a small gasp leaving her lips. She runs her fingers over the small coral, and Percy watches her with a nervous smile, “It’s, uh, from my dad’s castle. I don’t–I mean if you hate it that’s cool, but I just wanted to give you something, I guess.”

She puts down the box and cups Percy’s jaw, pressing a kiss to his lips and silencing all the thoughts roaring through his head.

“I love it. Thank you.” She says, once they pull away, and he exhales a breath, “You’re welcome.”

  
  
  


A few days later, he catches sight of the pendant hanging on her camp necklace, right beside her dad’s college ring, and it sends a rush through him everytime he sees it. The feeling only gets stronger whenever he hears her tell people her boyfriend got it for her, although he can’t quite pinpoint why. 

When he mentions it aloud, however, while Iris Messaging Grover, he hits him with the reason.

“Dude, its because you like the fact that Annabeth’s telling people she’s taken. That she’s yours, or whatever.” He says, laughing, and Percy stares at the image of Grover blankly.

“Huh.” 

Grover laughs, “Welcome to dating, Percy. You gave her a pendant, now she’s gonna use it as a reminder to the world that she’s taken.”

And although he thinks jealousy is a bitch and Annabeth isn’t an object for him to own, the words only bring a smile to his lips.

  
  
  


_**ii.** _

When their senior year started up, Percy had hoped to blend into the background. He had no plans for extracurriculars, with the exception of the swim club for pool access, and wanted to get through the year without any monster attacks or quests. That plan fell through, however, once the football coach took one look at Percy and deemed him an asset to their team.

It wasn’t that Percy minded joining sports-he’d grown up playing touch football and even was on a Little League team for a year, but he was tired. He had no need for extracurriculars, either, seeing as his spot at New Rome University was secured, but somehow (mostly due to his mom) he took the spot on the team. 

For a crap school, they had a decent team. It wasn’t like they were out being top of the state or anything, but they’d had a history of at least getting through playoffs, which is more than he’d expected when he signed on to join. Annabeth got the biggest kick out of him joining the team, her eyes lighting up when he mentions it.

“I’m dating a football player.” She teases, sitting up on his bed, and he rolls his eyes, “Barely a football player.”

“Same thing.” She waves her hand, watching him as he digs around his closet to find a hoodie. They’d just finished their first week of the semester and, after a week of not being together, Annabeth finally came by, promising to stay the whole weekend. She’d shown up while he was in the shower, but she’d been so used to spending time at his house that she’d tossed her bag down in his room and waited on his bed. An expression crosses her face, “Should I join cheerleading?”

Percy pauses, his hand curling around a black hoodie he’d found, and the image of Annabeth in a cheer uniform crosses his mind before he can stop it. It’s a great visual, but he’s quick to brush it away and stand up, making his way to the bed, “We don’t go to the same school, ‘Beth.”

  
  
He sits down next to her, pulling the article of clothing on, and Annabeth shrugs, “I’d be your cheerleader, though.”

He laughs, grabbing his laptop and placing it in front them, “Cute, but you can be my cheerleader without joining cheer. You already joined like, 5 clubs.”

“Hm, true.” She rests her head on his shoulder, shifting closer to him, “You have to give me one of your jerseys, though.”

He drops a kiss to the top of her head, “You can also wear my letterman.”

“From demigod soldiers to a cliched high school couple, I think we made it.” She says, watching him pull up Netflix, and he laughs, “I think we deserve some cliche-ness, don’t you think?”

She nods against his shoulder, her arm moving to loop around his elbow. She’s quiet for a moment, her eyes trained on the laptop screen, and Percy leans back as the episode starts playing. 

He feels her press a kiss to his jaw, “I love you.”

A smile pulls on his lips as his arm wraps around her torso, “I love you, too.”

  
  
  


Two weeks later, Annabeth is back at the apartment and he’s got his letterman jacket and jerseys, pulling them out to show his mom, Paul, and Annabeth.

“It took me forever to convince you to join a sport at Goode, yet you joined football at AHS?” Paul says, almost dejectedly, and Percy laughs, “They kinda forced me, Paul.”

He sits down beside Annabeth on the sofa adjacent to the one his mom and Paul are curled up on, the clothes draped over his lap, and jerks his head towards Annabeth, “Plus, she wanted to date a football player.”

“You jerk!” She hits him with a throw pillow as the other three in the room laugh, and he’s quick to grab the pillow out of her hands and tug her closer to him, “I’m kidding!”

“No, go away.” She attempts to push him away, which only makes him pull her closer, “I won’t give you the jacket if you keep pushing me.”

“You made fun of me first.” Annabeth argues, but she also swipes the article of clothing off of his lap and pulls it on without giving him room to argue. She was wearing a cropped tee and ripped up jeans, and when she turns to him with the jacket on he feels so much in his chest. It’s big on her, with the sleeves covering up her hands and the fabric pooling loosely on the couch, but she looks so good he can’t speak.

She gives him a smile as she stands, stretching out her hands and tilting her head to the side, “Well? Who wore it better?”  
  
She’s teasing, he knows this, but as his mom and Paul play into the joke, his gaze fixes on the little ‘Jackson’ embroidered on the front and the way the jacket hangs on her. She sits back down beside Percy, turning to him and giving him a playful poke, “So?”

He knows Annabeth hates when he kisses her in front of people, particularly his parents, but he ignores that and leans forward, pressing a kiss to her lips. Her hand, which had been pressed into his shirt, curls around the fabric. He pulls away before things get too intense, but her cheeks are flushed all the same.

“An ‘I like it on you’ would have worked.” She says, her voice wavering slightly, and he grins, “Not the same effect.”

An hour later, when they ditch the living room and curl up on his bed, she’s still wearing the jacket and he doesn’t mind. They’re laying down and watching a random movie that Netflix auto played, his fingers toying with her curls as her head rests on his chest. 

“I need to go before I fall asleep.” She mutters after a beat, picking up her phone to check the time. He lets out a low groan, his arms tightening around her, “No, stay.”

“I’ll miss curfew and we have school tomorrow.” She sits up, her face hovering inches away from his, and he tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, “I’ll drive you back in the morning.”

“I don’t have clothes to sleep in.”

“My closet is right there.” He presses a kiss to her jaw, and a sigh leaves Annabeth’s lips, “This is all really tempting, but I do have to go. You’ll see me tomorrow, though.”

He heaves out a sigh, watching Annabeth sit up and grab her things, shoving them into her backpack. He gets up too, tugging on a pair of socks and a hoodie, “I’m driving you back.”

“I can take the subway.” She argues, picking up her bag, and Percy takes it from her hands and tugs it onto his shoulder, planting a kiss to her lips, “I want more time with you.”

She doesn’t argue any further, and Percy grabs one of his jerseys from off his bed and drops it into her bag, “For tomorrow.”

A smile pulls on her lips then she lets out a small, “Oh! Your letterman.”

She makes a move to take the jacket off, but he grabs her hands before she can, “Don’t.”

“Huh?” 

“I–ah, keep it.” He feels his cheeks flare up, but keeps going, “I like you in it–I mean, I like you wearing it, and I want you to keep it.”

  
  
“It’s your jacket.” She’s blushing, too, and Percy can’t help but smile, “Wear it at school. Remind people you’re dating a football player from another school.”

  
  
“Gods, you’re stupid.” She responds, but kisses him anyway. She also doesn’t disagree with the point, and that’s enough to keep him happy.

And when she shows up the next day to the football game in his jersey, with a wide smile and his number painted on his cheek, he suddenly can’t remember why he was so against the sport in the first place.

(And there’s a thrill to the way Annabeth kisses him after the game, only furthering the proof that she’s his.)

  
  
  


_**iii.** _

Percy had expected college to mean that he and Annabeth could spend their days together, but within months of being in New Rome, he quickly learned that that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to spend time with one another–he knew he missed her and knew she missed him, but they were just busy. 

They’d opted to dorm separately in their first year, however they’d spent so many nights in each other’s dorms that half of Percy’s things were in her dorm and vice versa. It also didn’t help that Percy wasn’t one of the cleanest people out there, resulting in messy drawers and scattered clothes–half of which ended up being Annabeth’s. 

He also doesn’t quite know when he started racking up a collection of her various hair accessories, but all he knows is that everytime he cleans his bed he manages to find something. It’d started with small hair clips and bobby pins, which he’d just collect on his desk until she’d sweep them into her backpack. When he started finding hair ties, however, he’d save those for when she’d spend the night. 

It came as a second reflex for him to take care of her things–for him to wrap her hair ties and scrunchies around his desk lamp for her and keep her clothes in one of his drawers, but everyone else saw it as him being whipped. The teasing mostly came from Jason and Frank, who would come over to hang out at his dorm and make fun of his collection. He always waved it off, though.

The habit of collecting her things gradually shifted to him doing outside the dorm rooms. If they were out and she’d drop something, or if she felt her hair tie slipping out, Percy was always quick to capture it and hold onto it for her and she’d always respond with a thank you and a kiss. He hadn’t realized quite how bad it’d gotten until Annabeth decides to spend the night at his dorm after a week of barely seeing and she sees the collection of hair ties.

“So that’s where they all went.” She says softly, climbing into Percy’s bed after changing into one of his shirts and loose shorts. It always amuses him that despite her endless clothes stored in his room that she chooses his clothes, but he never complains-not when it makes his heart pound the way it does. 

“I always find them in my bed.” He wraps his arm around her torso to tug her closer, and a smile pulls onto her lips, “Mm, and what if I leave them there on purpose?”

He rolls his eyes, but his brain temporarily flashes back to what his roommate, Noah, had said once he saw the endless scrunchies on his lamp, “Noah thought you did that, too.”

She furrows her brows, her face inches away from his on the pillow, “Why would I leave them on purpose?”

  
  
He shrugs, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, “He said something about how they were a good teller of me being taken. Said I should wear one around, too.”

“I never even thought of it like that.” She responds, quietly, and a small smile pulls on her lips, “He has a point, though.”

“Seriously?” Percy’s eyebrows fly up as Annabeth nods, and she shifts her position so she’s straddling him. Her hands move to rest on his chest, and he knows she feels his heart pounding under her fingertips as his hands move to hold her waist.

“I mean, I wear your hoodies all the time.” She kisses his jaw once, “Wouldn’t wearing my scrunchie on your wrist be the equivalent?”

“That’s some weird logic.” He says, but it comes out breathy as she trails kisses down his skin. He feels her smile against his neck, “I can think of other ways to publicly show you’re my boyfriend, too, you know.”

“Fuck.” He breathes the word out, pulling Annabeth to his lips, “Do it. Any of it. I’ll wear three scrunchies. I love showing that I’m your boyfriend.”

She kisses him, her eyes shining and he loves her so much.

And when he shows up to hang out with Frank and Jason the next day, Percy ignores their jabs about the bruise on his neck and the satin, blue scrunchie laying on his wrist.

(“Whipped.” Frank coughs, but Percy rolls his eyes.)

  
  


**_iv._ **

It had been an impulse gift, honestly, when Percy got Annabeth the Polaroid camera. He had no clue what to get her for Christmas, and, amidst panicked scrolling through Amazon, stumbled upon the light yellow camera and decided to get it. He hadn’t expected her to use it much, but as soon as she’d got the hang of it, the camera became a staple in her bag. She’d always loved taking photos and capturing moments, but something about the physical memory in her hand meant something to her, and Percy opted to never question it. Instead, he let her fill their bedroom wall with various photos of them, their friends, and the sites they’d visit. 

Something he did hate, however, was when he became a spectacle to Annabeth. He never minded getting his photo taken or a quick selfie, but when Annabeth got behind a lens, she became more demanding than his own mother and would frequently have to force the camera away from her. 

“Annabeth, we’re out with friends, put that shit away.” He demands, pushing the lens away from her face and stopping her attempt to get a picture of Percy. She pouts, attempting to free her arm from his grip, “No, please! Come on, one more.”

“Put the camera down.” He wraps his arms around her, pulling her against him. They’re on the lawn in front of the New Rome campus library, a picnic blanket underneath them and the entire Argo II crew, minus Nico, sitting with them. She wiggles in his hold, “Please let me take a picture.”

“I’ll fucking break the camera.” He responds, his grip tightening as he presses a kiss to her jaw, and he sees a smile tug on her lips, “I’ll get Leo to fix it.”

“Hey! Exclude me from this, please.” Leo chimes in, cutting Piper’s sentence off as he hears his name, “I’m not doing shit if it goes against Percy.”

“And to think you were my favorite.” Annabeth says, putting the camera down on the blanket in front of her, and Leo rolls his eyes, “You’re a liar, Chase. Piper’s your favorite.”

“I’m so happy you’re self aware.” Piper pats Leo’s cheek, and Annabeth lets out a huff, adjusting the way she’s sitting. She settles herself between Percy’s legs, his arms wrapping around her waist loosely as her head rests on his chest. He presses a kiss to her hair, “Glad you put the camera down.”

“You’re dead to me.” She doesn’t glance up, and Percy grins, pinching her waist. She lets out a small yelp, which only makes his smile grow, “You’re sitting against me, don’t be rude.”

“I hate you.”

“Mhm, love you, too.” He kisses her cheek, and she turns her head, looking at him, “You’re the worst.”

“Got anymore insults, Chase?” He can’t help the smile pulling at his lips, studying the way she has one on her face too, despite what she’s saying.

“Oh, loads. I have them saved in my Notes app. It’s titled ‘Reasons I hate Percy Jackson’.”

“Damn, there’s a list?”

“Currently 50 points long. Grows every day, honestly.” She grins, and he leans down, “Can you Airdrop it to me? I wanna read it.”

“Shut it.” She closes the small distance between them, pressing her lips to his to effectively shut him up. They part at the sound of a click and a flash of light, turning to see Piper holding the yellow camera in her hands. 

“You guys looked cute. I’m not even sorry.” She plucks the photo out of the slot and hands it to Annabeth, giving it a moment to develop. Once the film fully develops, Percy can’t even hate Piper for interrupting their kiss. He loves it, so much that he’s quick to snatch it out of Annabeth’s hand, “This is mine now.”

“Hey!” She protests, sitting up out of his hold, and Percy shakes his head, “Nope, mine.”

Within seconds, before she can claim it once again, he pulls out his phone and pops it into the back of his clear phone case, leaving the photo on display. “Mine.”

Even though she’d looked ready to argue for the photo, she doesn’t quite bother once it’s sealed away into his phone case. Instead, she gives him a kiss on the cheek and resettles herself into his arms. He doesn’t quite get it, in the first place, but once Annabeth and Hazel decide to escape into the library to use the bathroom, Piper explains it to him.

“Perce, you put a photo of the two of you kissing in the back of your phone. You effectively just shut down any opportunity of any girl thinking you’re single.” She states, giving him a small kick with her foot, “That beats her hanging it up in your room, so she didn’t argue.”

He makes a point of changing his lock screen to another favorite picture he has of Annabeth and Estelle, and she practically jumps on him when she spots it. 

_**v.** _

The bartender at this place is a sleeze, and Percy should be listening to the story Grover’s telling to the table, but his attention is elsewhere.

He watches Annabeth wait for the bartender finish making her drink, watches the guy wink and give her a wide smile. He knows he should maybe step up to the bar as well, maybe do something, but instead he stays in his seat. 

The drink gets placed on the counter, and he watches Annabeth raise her left hand to pick the glass up, the ring on her finger shining and making the bartender’s eyes widen. She turns and makes her way back to the table, sliding in beside Percy.

“What’d I miss?” She asks, taking a sip of her drink, and Percy drapes his arm over her chair, “Not much, honestly.”

She turns to look at him, a small smile on her lips, “You saw that, didn’t you?”

“Saw what?” He feigns ignorance, which only makes her smile grow, “You’re stupid.”

“Mm, no clue what you’re talking about.” He argues, “But, just for argument’s sake, I think I should kiss you. You know, objectively, just to remind anyone here that you know, you are taken.”

“Yeah, ‘cause the rock on her finger doesn’t do that already.” Piper chimes in, sarcastically, and Annabeth laughs. Somehow, even after so many years together, the sound doesn’t fail to make his heart pound, and she meets Percy’s eye, “I don’t know, I think he has a point.”

“Gods, you guys are twenty-six, not sixteen. You’re fucking engaged. Kiss if you want to.” Piper practically whines, which only motives him to lean forward and kiss Annabeth. 

(And if Percy practically gloats about it when he heads back to the bar to get another round, he thinks he’s allowed to. People can flirt all they want, but he’s had her for 10 years and counting.)

  
  
  


_**bonus:** _

For as many perks as living in New Rome had, one downfall was the quarterly galas. He never quite understood the reason for them, honestly, but it was an excuse for the entire town to get dressed up and party for a night. And as a former Praetor, despite only holding the position for less than a week, Percy had to keep an appearance at every single one.

He didn’t always complain about them, though, because something about Annabeth in gowns always did something to his chest. This time, in particular, he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off her. She never let him see the dress till the day of, instead only telling him what color tie to buy for the night. And when she stepped out a sleeveless, emerald green, floor-length gown with a slit to her thigh and a sweetheart neckline, he knew he was a goner. 

It’s not like she didn’t get a kick out of seeing Percy dress formal, too. He knew from Homecoming senior year that she adored seeing Percy in a suit-something he immediately took note of and used to his advantage. At this point, these galas became a teasing game to the two of them-testing to see who would crack first and drag the other away.

(Annabeth won this time around. It took some poor legacy kid getting a little too handsy with her for Percy to drag her away, her lipstick smudging and his hair falling out of the neatly-arranged style he’d secured it in as he peppered her in kisses that left them both dizzy.)

(“There’s lipstick on your collar.” Piper comments, and Percy tells her to shut it. He knows there’ll be a hickey on his neck soon, too, and Annabeth’s got a shit-eating grin that makes him smile.)

_What must it be like_  
_To grow up that beautiful?_  
_With your hair falling into place like dominoes_  
_My mind turns your life into folklore_  
_I can't dare to dream about you anymore_  
_At dinner parties_  
_Won't call you out on your contrarian shit_  
_And the coastal town_  
_We never found will never_  
_See a love as pure as it_

**Author's Note:**

> the scrunchies part is inspired by [this incredible fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26830924?view_adult=true) and i just love it sm
> 
> (ps i know my latest fics have been fairly short but i'm working on a new college au that i'm planning to be a long-ish one stay tuned besties :D - tumblr: flashbackinfilmreels)


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